Solid surface materials are used in a variety of surfacing applications in both commercial and residential settings. Examples of common types of solid surface materials include: manufactured polymer solid surfaces such as Corian®, Lexton®, Avonite®, and Swanstone®; natural solid surface materials such as marble or granite; and other manufactured solid surface materials such as concrete or glass. Solid surface materials are commonly used in a variety of different applications. Some of the more common applications of solid surface materials is for countertops or surfaces on counters, bars, reception areas, tables, windows, and ledges. Other applications include walls, facings, exterior cladding, and partitions.
Solid surface materials come in a wide variety of different colors. The variety of colors and finishes within a given type of solid surface material can number in the several hundreds if not thousands. Manufactured solid surface materials also may come with different highlights, including small accents and other materials molded directly into the solid surface material itself to form a textured pattern. However, these textured patterns are typically evenly dispersed throughout the entire solid surface material with a random pattern. Solid surface materials are typically supplied in sheets which are then cut to fit specific applications either at the job site or by off-site fabricators.
One feature of solid surface materials, and particularly manufactured polymer solid surface materials, is the ability to create a continuous surface that is relatively impervious to moisture and other substances. When multiple sheets of a solid surface material are assembled, the sheets are typically bonded together using a joint adhesive. For example, Corian® sheets may be joined using a joint adhesive, primarily methylmethacrylate, which effectively bonds the sheets together such that the multiple sheets remain relatively impervious to moisture and other substances.
Although solid surface materials, and manufactured polymer solid surfaces in particular have a wide variety of decorative and functional attributes, there are some limitations to their use. Purchasers commonly desire a customized look and feel for a solid surface being installed. One common way to customize the look and feel of a particular installation is to select the color, texture, and finish of the installation. However, the solid surface cannot be manufactured so that specific colors and textures are arranged into specific distinct patterns; rather they are diffused throughout the material. Therefore, there is a practical limit to the ability of a customer to customize a solid surface or to replicate a desired design in the solid surface material.
Therefore, there is a need for a method, device, and process for creating inserts for solid surface materials that enables a customer to recreate a desired design in a solid surface by the inclusion of a patterned insert into the solid surface. Specifically, the customized insert can replicate a number of different decorative or functional shapes, patterns, logos, or other designs as desired by the customer without substantially interfering with the performance of the solid surface.